


twilight

by Glove23



Category: Tenet (2020)
Genre: Confession, Fluff, Just two guys bein dudes, M/M, Sparring, inverted sparring, just two dudes bein gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29640462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glove23/pseuds/Glove23
Summary: Neil can’t focus while sparring with The Protagonist
Relationships: Neil/The Protagonist (Tenet)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	twilight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Val_Creative](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Creative/gifts).



> henlo and welcome to another fic this goes out to rie who is the only reason i wrote this yayy i hope u like it

* * *

An elbow flies by Neil’s face, closely followed by a tightly clenched fist. He moved his head back to where the fist came from and dodged an inverted kick from the man in front of him. 

The logistics of fighting someone who is Inverted is very confusing for someone who is not practiced in it. The man before him has taught him everything he knows, and Neil knows he will be the one to teach these moves to the past version of The Protagonist, creating a never ending cycle of the two of them learning from each other.

He swept his leg under The Protagonist’s legs, and watched as he fell to the floor. The way an Inverted person stands back up has always looked  _ wrong _ to Neil, which he supposed it is, in a way. A person is not meant to move backwards the way an Inverted person does. Though, The Protagonist doesn’t move like anyone else Neil knows, and it is mesmerizing. Neil knows he has feelings for him, and it is hard to seperate the thought of those feelings with the thought of The Protagonist being his superior. What he does know, is that he cannot stop himself from watching The Protagonist’s beautiful hands whenever they do anything. 

He was sure he was rapidly becoming noticed in his staring, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Neil was jolted out of his thoughts as he felt the warm but rapidly turning cold barrel of a gun pressed to his temple, and he realized he had allowed The Protagonist to get the better of him in his distraction. He felt a grin begin to steal over his face as he looked at the fading proud look on the other man’s face. Neil held his hands up to yield, and the gun was withdrawn, and The Protagonist walked backwards into a sealed off chamber, throwing a backwards smile to Neil as he went through the turnstile. 

A minute later he came out going in the same direction as Neil, grasping his shoulder when he got next to him.

“You got distracted,” he said. “You’re usually more focused than that.” 

The warmth of The Protagonist’s hand seeped through Neil’s thin shirt into his shoulder, and he almost forgot to answer for all he was memorizing the sensation of his fingers pressed into his skin. 

He realized The Protagonist was looking for an answer, and cleared his throat.

“What? Oh, ha, I was just thinking of how odd it looks when an Inverted person moves rapidly and I got caught up in that train of thought,” Neil said, shrugging. 

For a reason Neil couldn’t have deduced in the moment, a light in The Protagonist’s eyes dimmed slightly, before it was hastily covered up with a sly look. 

“Oh so you’re saying you could’ve beaten me if you hadn’t gotten distracted?” he asked.

Neil laughed, “I said nothing of the sort, but whether it was heavily implied in every word I said is another matter entirely.” 

“Well, why don’t we have a rematch? I’ll even have us be going the same direction, to help you out.” 

There was something in his eyes that Neil hadn’t seen in a long time. Like he had been trying to suppress it, but hadn’t been successful.

There was something Neil wanted to say to the man in front of him, but he could not tell if this was the right moment.

Maybe he’d wait.

“You need a handicap in order to win? By all means,” he said, smirking.

“I think you are forgetting who is the one who just won the last sparring match,” The Protagonist said. “It is more for your benefit.” 

Neil regrettably took a few steps back and settled into his starting position. He felt his eyes follow the line of The Protagonist’s arm to his shoulder and down his body, and he grinned as he met his eyes again.

“You’re right. It’s definitely for my benefit.” 

The Protagonist settled into his stance as well, and for a moment they both just watched the other, waiting for their moment to strike.

He didn’t know what the other man was thinking, but Neil had to fight an internal battle to keep his mind from drifting to thinking of what The Protagonist’s beard would feel like against his own skin, or from following the tensed tendons of his neck down and down and down and-

Suddenly he was flat on his back with The Protagonist pressing his shoulders down with his forearm while supporting himself with his other arm. 

“It’s not even hard, you are so distracted. Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. He let up on his shoulders, but remained straddling Neil, like he was afraid he would make a run for it if he let him up. 

“It’s not something I can really talk about.”

“In general, or with me?” 

Neil raised himself up onto his forearms so he wasn’t just laying flat on his back anymore. It gave him the opportunity to avoid The Protagonist’s gaze as he spoke his next words.

“It could ruin everything, and I’m not prepared to live with those consequences.” 

The Protagonist’s brow furrowed, and he said, “If it is something that would compromise the job, I think you should tell me. Better now where we can control it, than later.”

He shook his head and shifted, unfortunately making The Protagonist move off of him, though he didn’t go far. Neil sat up and they were still less than a foot apart. 

“It’s not something-”

“Neil, just tell me.” 

He was about to protest again when The Protagonist laid his hand over Neil’s. He looked up and saw concern in the other man’s eyes.

All hesitation left him, and Neil surged forward, pressing his lips to The Protagonist’s in a firm kiss, pouring untold amounts of feeling into it. 

He felt The Protagonist’s hand tighten around his own, and he drew back, searching his face for any sign of reciprocation. 

“You have to know already. You must by now.” Neil all but whispered. 

Unspoken emotions swirled in The Protagonist’s eyes, and he didn’t speak for a moment, and when he did it was just to say, “We have a job.” 

A small spark of frustration bit through Neil’s anxiety. “We’re not working right now.” 

“Neil…” he sighed, taking his hand off of his.

Neil shook his head, “No. No, you wanted me to talk to you, so now I’m going to tell you.” He took a deep breath and stared determinedly into The Protagonist’s eyes. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a while, and I’m going to continue loving you when I leave. I’m going to see a you who doesn’t know me, and I’m going to love you still. Any version of you. Any timeline.” He felt his eyes burn with tears, but he didn’t let them fall.

“I will love you until my final day. You must know that.”

The Protagonist had no reservations with his tears, and let them fall down his face freely. 

“I do. I do know that.” 

There was a pain on The Protagonist’s face as he continued to cry, but he leaned forward anyways, pausing right before their lips touched, letting Neil close the last bit of distance, giving him the chance to pull away.

The thought never even crossed his mind.

* * *


End file.
